Financial Scheme #2

Back in April I finaggled some money through the US Mint and my credit card. I later applied for a credit card to do this again, but my activation attempt failed. After agreeing to give her 80% of the proceeds, Stephanie came with me to the bank to activate the card. I then ordered $9750 worth of Native American $1 coins. That is more than three times the amount pictured here. Last time, the bank was a little annoyed, so I am going to keep them packaged this time.

Nice toes huh? This direct ship program is a perfect example of why the US government is broke! They sent me just about 200 lbs worth of package next day air! I went to UPS and used precise measurements to calculate how much the shipping charges would be. According to UPS.com, to ship 200 lbs from Indiana to Canal Winchester via next day air, it would cost over $600! This makes me feel a little guilty. Also, why on earth didn't they use the Postal Service!?

Anyway, we already are able to claim $100 from Capital One, and over time should be able to earn interest on the money for the next 9 months!

Saving Money at Garage Sales!

Over the past year I have acquired some excellent equipment at incredible prices! Garage sales do require patience, but they sure are worth it! If you really want something, but cannot justify paying full price, start looking! Below are my best four finds in the last year.

1. Air compressor. I thought I paid $40 for the thing, but jealous friends just reminded me that I got it for $25! From what I can find on the internet, it retails for around $150.

2. Coffee Grinder. 50 cents! True, we don't need one, but when you are a man who sells whole bean coffee it is worth giving away a 50 cent grinder to secure a good customer.

3. Bike Trailer. $50 is all I paid for this pre-assembled, never-used bike trailer. It retails for $130. I used craigslist RSS to be the first one to get this sucker.

4. Sander. $2! It wasn't working when I bought it, but the man selling it was pretty sure it just needed a new cord--a gamble worth taking. He was right. Retail value over $50 I am sure.
Here are my tips for good garage saling.

1. Look for community garage sales. You can really maximize your gas milegae this way.
2. Know what you are looking for.
3. Know how much you are willing to pay ahead of time.

4. Bargain! It never hurts to ask. People often times don't know how much their stuff is worth.

5. Don't feel obligated to look at everything. Sometimes you can size up a sale within 1 minute. Don't waste your time on sales that don't interest you. Walk away and move on!

The US Mint Comes Through

I am unimpressed by the US Mint for a couple of reasons. Although I originally requested 3k $1 coins, they only sent my 500. I assumed that I had misunderstood their limits. Well, today I received the remaining 2500--almost a month after I ordered them. They never once corresponded with me concerning the order being filled in two increments. Second, I thought it was a little wasteful for them to ship them for free in the first place. Well, the coins I got today were shipped next day air! This package weighes a good twenty lbs, and Uncle Sam was happy to pay for that. Why do we need all these new coins in the first place?
Nonetheless, I am happy to have the rest of my coins and this financial scheme is now more worth the effort. Making $30 out of the process doesn't really take any more work than making the $5. I will only burn more calories carrying more coin to the bank.

Identity Theft? No way.

Days after receiving my first batch of coins, Stephanie gets an invitation to open an account with Capital One. Imagine that, a credit card offer. They offer no interest for 12 months. So, I go online and fill out all of the info. A few days later we receive the card. Stephanie was asleep so, I went ahead and called them to activate the card. In a world with an increasing transsexual population, I didn't think my male voice would be a problem. Listen to the lines of security protecting this card from the wrong hands:

1. Phone number - They use caller ID to make sure that you call with your home phone number.
PASS

2. SSN - They asked for the last 4 digits of Stephanie's SSN.
PASS

3. Zip Code - Billing zip code
PASS

At this point, I think you would usually have jumped through all of their hoops, but my voice not fitting the name Stephanie had them suspicious, so they kept going.

4. Previous Address #1 - This was multiple choice. They asked what city a previous street she lived on was in... Strangely, the street was "Joshua". She never lived at a Joshua - I loved on a Joshua Trace!? Anyway, we got it.
PASS

5. Auto Loan - They asked how long the terms were for Stephanie's auto loan.
PASS

6. Previous Address #2 - They wanted her parent's entire address.
PASS

7. Driver's License Number - I had to dig into her wallet...
PASS

8. Ridiculous previous address details - They asked me to, "Name a street that intersects 'St. Paul'" (her parent's house) I gave them three.
PASS

9. Family!? - "Do you have relatives in Crookston, MN?"
"My in-laws are from there."
"Can you give me a name?"
I proceed to name my mother, and sister
PASS

10. A woman with a man's voice?
FAIL

So, they still were not convinced, but apparently could not point out the obvious reason they were not. So, they left me with one final test.

11. Go to a bank with the CC, Driver's License, and Social Security Card, and have someone call us to verify your physical identity!
PENDING

Note: Stephanie woke up to feed Thor half way through this conversation, so I could have just handed the phone over to her. She was helping with the answers throughout the last half. But, seeing how far this would go was more important than activating the stupid card so I could capitalize on the US Mint and their introductory rate.

Capital One, I am impressed.

Financial Scheme

A few weeks ago I was pointed to the US Mint's direct ship program. In order to get $1 coins into circulation, they will ship them to you at face value. Why would I be interested in buying $1 coins $250 at a time? Because it is essentially a free cash advance that even earns Cashback bonus! I experimented with my Discover card this month. The limits are confusing and for some reason my $3k order was reduc ed to $500, but they have raised the limit to $5k now. So, this week, I will deposit the coins into my checking account and pay off the debt. Now, this may be a lot of work for a whopping $5 in cashback. But, with an introductory rate of 0% for 12 months and a creidt limit of $10k or so, you get a free $250 or so! This leads me to my next post...